The Opelousas courier., 1887-04-09

ha! hap
And Colonel Temple laughed a cold
bitter laugh that changed to a groan
Darrell bent over him in some dismay
The turbaned East Indian servant ad
vanced.
II told you sol" he signaled to hi
masters friend. He is going out will
the turn of the tide-twcnty minute.
past twelve!'
Dhurum Jashce was right. At twent,
minutes past twelve Colonel Leopold
Temple died.
"Children, will you keep stilla How
on earth am | ever to commit my spelling
lesson, if you make such a racket as this?'
Lydia Kempfeld sat before the kitchen
table, her thumbs in her ears, her fin,
gers thrust through her uncombe1 tres
ses and her elbows among the unwashed
dishes. She was an overgrown girl Of
thirteen, with great BACK eyes, gener-
ally half yelled by tangled hairs a skin
as brown as a berry and q bib-apron SO
dirty that it looked as if she might have
used it-as she probably had-for u dus-
ter.
"Bother the spelling. B. A. Ba--K.
A. R. kcr, Ba -ker," barked out Master
Rodolphc Jones, balancing neatly on the
back Of his chair. "Wash the dishes
first Lyddy, or I'll tell ma"
II can't, the water amt hot. Mind
your own business Rode!'
81 know sometin," croaked Philip Au-
gustus Jones, who was making pics of
ashes on the hearth. 'May says she's
goin' to choke off this ere evenin' school
business for Lyddy. Mas goin' to take
in shirts and set Lyddy at the button
holes.n
"Tell US o stt'y Lyddyi" coaxed
Meggy, the youngest and least intolera-
bic OF the lot. "P.casel Just one be-
fore going to school,"
aWell, then listcn,n said Lydia, sud
denly turning round. R,dolphc de-
scended from his aerial height-PhiIip
Augustus left his pies to the mercy of
the cat, who at once proceeded to roll
over in them, and Mcggy leaned her ell
bows on Lydia's knee.
go on Lyddy, we're all ready" they
cried in chorus.
@Onec upon q time, children, there
was a palace, all made of gold, with the
windows of Gear diamonds, and"
But The unexpected opening of the
kitchen door knocked the castles Of gold
and diamonds into the dim realms of
nothingncss, and Mrs. Jones 1ounced
suddenly in, while q tall gentleman
blocked up the doorway, his dark, ques-
tioning eyes seeming 10 take in the whole
scene at n glance.
ssThcrct' cried Mrs. Jones, spitefu,ly,
~ you want TO see my Kitchen girl,
here she is, and much good may the
sight do you'll But she's bound legal
and lawful to me Till she's eighteen, and
I'm n as knows my rights as well as
anothcrl No, AMI amt to be cheated
out Of 'em, neither-no-not if / know
itio
Major Dlrrelps ~aristocratic lip curled
slightly. For the life OF him he. could
not help recoiling in spirit from the un-
inviting tableau.
L~ydia-dirty, greasy and uncombed-
the clamorous children, the rcekine,
kitchen And Lydia's great, dueky eyes
saw ii All. How she wished she were
little mouse, TO run away and hide
sight at that instant.
Exactly r said Major Darrell, slowly.
s'0t course, your Inconvenience will Be
pecuniarily considered, Mrs.--ahem -
Mrs.-s
aJones, sir, . interrupted the virago,
al smiles and curtisies. aTo be
sure, sir-I might have knowcd You
would ha' done the correct thing. And
2 very good girl, when she Amt
incoming over her books,
You will cone with me al once, my
child. = said Major Darrell III an ua,,r
snardian-the representative of the
If your deceased uncle, Colonel